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Co-Treatment and Group Therapy |
Co-Treatment
Co-treatment is defined as two different therapy disciplines performing therapy on the same patient at the same time by a licensed therapist and rendered in accordance with the Executive Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy Examiners and State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
Co-treatment may be a benefit when it is medically necessary for the patient to receive therapy from two different therapy disciplines at the same time. The therapy performed requires the expertise of two different disciplines (i.e., licensed physical therapist, licensed occupational therapist, or licensed speech-language pathologist), to perform the therapy safely and effectively to reach the client’s goals as determined by the approved plan of care, signed and dated by the patient’s prescribing provider.
When performing co-treatment, a primary therapist must be designated by the two performing therapists. Only the primary performing therapist may bill for the therapy services rendered. The secondary therapist will not be reimbursed for assisting a designated primary performing therapist.
The following co-treatment documentation requirements must be maintained in the patient’s medical records as follows:
Retrospective review may be performed to ensure documentation supports that the medical necessity of the co-treatment performed and that the billing was appropriate for the services provided by the designated primary-performing therapist.
Therapy Co-Treatment Modifier
Modifier: U3
Group Therapy
Group therapy consists of simultaneous treatment to two or more patients who may or may not be doing the same activities. If the therapist is dividing attention among the patients, providing only brief, intermittent personal contact, or giving the same instructions to two or more patients at the same time, the treatment is recognized as group therapy. The physician or therapist involved in group therapy services must be in constant attendance, but one-on-one client contact is not required.
The following requirements must be met in order to meet the Texas Medicaid criteria for group therapy:
Texas Medicaid does not limit the number of patients who can participate in a group therapy session. Providers are subject to certification and licensure board standards regarding group therapy.
Group Therapy Documentation Requirements
The following documentation must be maintained in the patient’s medical record:
Reference
Texas Medicaid Provider Manual
Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy Services Handbook
June 2022
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